Stuck in the Middle With You
by Nightstalker1
Summary: A great idea leads Dee into an awkward position. Will Ryo help him in time or die laughing? Rated PG-13 for mild yaoi and Dee's colorful language.


**Author's Notes**: This was written along with Lady Dragonphire (of AFF fame) for Phoenix's FAKE Summer Challenge. Normally I write Lord of the Rings fanfiction, but Lady Dragonphire really wanted me to enter the competition with her. Having suffered from writer's block, I relished the new challenge and inspiration. So here you go, everyone, my first FAKE fanfic.

Disclaimer: I don't own them. If I did, Ryo would be tied up in my closet. So maybe it's all for the best.

**Stuck in the Middle With You**

_By Nightstalker1 and Lady Dragonphire_

"Damn summer, damn heat, damn stupid thing, damn stupid directions in fucking Moraccan, damn-AH!"

_CRASH!_

That was the first thing detective Randy "Ryo" Maclean heard as he knocked on the door leading to his partner's apartment. Dee had called him an hour ago, asking for his help with a special "project". Though what that project was, Ryo had no idea. Dee refused to give any details, which immediately put the older detective on edge. Whatever Dee wanted his help with, it was either sexual in nature or completely illegal. And Dee had no restraint when it came to either. Against his better judgment, Ryo had reluctantly grabbed his keys and headed out. Whatever Dee was up to, Ryo would probably end up pulling his ass out of the fire like usual. And on this day, fire was the perfect word of choice. The moment Ryo stepped out of his car he found himself trapped in a sweltering inferno.

The bright July sun hovered overhead, melting New York City with the biggest heat wave it had seen in years. The air rippled above the scorching pavement. The sidewalks were so hot that an egg would fry, burn, and evaporate in less than a second. Stores were filled with overheated patrons trying desperately to stay off the streets. Not even criminals would dare to move around under the burning sun; which meant everyone at the 27th precinct was probably bored and sitting around the only fan in the office.

Dee's apartment building was not much better as Ryo let himself in through the front door. Dee had often complained about how the landlord was stingy about not supplying air conditioning, and Ryo could not help but agree as he pushed sweaty bangs of blonde hair from his forehead. The elevator ride was even worse as the detective found himself stuck in the torturous box with sweltering, stale air. Ryo completely forgot about worrying over Dee's latest "project" as he stumbled out of the elevator. All he could think about at the moment was kicking down his partner's door and immediately raiding his fridge.

But his initial worry immediately returned when the sounds of cursing and scraping metal echoed down the hall in a duet that would make a yowling cat sound like a night at the opera.

"Dee?" Ryo cringed as he heard another screech beyond the door. "Dee are you alright in there?"

"That you, Ryo? Come on in, the door's unlocked."

Steeling himself for the worst, Ryo cautiously turned the handle and pushed the heavy wood open. The apartment within seemed normal enough. Or at least normal by Dee's standards with wrinkled laundry thrown over the couch and mail spilling over the coffee table. More scraping noises and muffled curses directed Ryo's attention toward the bedroom. As he approached, Ryo gulped nervously. He almost did not want to see what was going on inside. But when he opened the door, his dark eyes widened in surprise. Dee was crouched under a giant heap of metal sticking out of the window. Patches of dust and plaster stuck to his jeans and black tank top.

The dark haired man glanced up as his partner entered the bedroom and tossed him a wry grin. "Hey there. What do you think?"

"I think you're an idiot. Who's going to want to buy scrap metal from you when it's stuck in the wall like that?"

"It's not scrap!" Dee growled as he straightened up. "It's an air conditioner. I got it cheap at this used appliance store down on 6th. With all of the heat we're getting this summer, I figured I should do something before I melt like a snowball in Hell." His eyes narrowed mischievously. "Besides, this'll keep the room nice and comfortable when we're raising the heat between the sheets."

Ryo had the decency to blush. They had been a couple for a few weeks now, but he was still adjusting to the new lifestyle. "So this is what you wanted my help with?"

"Yeah. I need you to help me get these panels up on the sides. They'll keep the cold air in and the hot air out. I got the right one in, but I'll need you to hold this monster steady while I screw in the left one. But first I need to find my screwdriver. I could have sworn I set it down right here."

Ryo rolled his eyes. The entire bedroom looked like a scrap yard after a tornado with bits of metal and directions in twelve languages scattered everywhere. It was no wonder Dee was losing things in it. Ryo had attempted to teach his partner the benefits of organization a long time ago, but to no avail.

"Fine, you look for that screwdriver," Ryo headed out of the bedroom. "While you do that, I'm going to get something to drink. I think all of the water in my body evaporated between the car and the front door."

Dee waved him off with one hand as he scratched his head with the other. He had set the stupid thing on the windowsill just a minute ago, so where could it have possibly gone? On a whim, he poked his head out the window. The blazing heat immediately assaulted his skin, causing sweat to bead on his brow. A glimpse of yellow caught his attention and his green eyes looked downward. The wayward screwdriver was caught between the rungs of the fire escape. Dee reached down, but his fingers only brushed against the plastic handle. Frowning, he hefted himself up a bit more, but didn't have enough leverage to dislodge the tool. The dark haired detective growled and, with a mighty grunt, launched himself through the hole in the window. Hanging halfway out, he snatched up the rogue screwdriver from the fire escape, barely burning his fingers on the heated metal. With a grin of triumph he shifted his body to fall back into the apartment. But instead of a graceful landing inside his bedroom, Dee's ribs hit the air conditioning unit. The impact sent a jolt through the detective's body and he tried to wiggle himself into a better position. But when nothing happened, a horrible conclusion came to Dee's mind.

He was stuck.

"…Oh shit…RYO!"

The panicked cry caught Ryo's attention and he quickly returned to the bedroom. Upon opening the door, he was quite surprised to see Dee's bottom half sticking out from between the air conditioner and window frame with his legs kicking in the air. A snicker broke past the detective's lips as he desperately tried to bite back a growing smirk.

"Dee?" He choked back a threatening bout of laughter. "Are you alright?"

"What do you think?" Dee yelled back, through his voice was somewhat muffled. "I'm stuck here and I can't move forward or backward. Do you think I'm fucking alright!?"

Seeing as how his partner could not see him, Ryo allowed himself to smile. "Should I even ask how this happened?"

There was a growl from the other side of the wall. "The damn screwdriver fell out of the window so I tried to grab it. But I reached out too far and got my ribs caught, so I'm lodged in place right now. Now are you going to pull me in or are you going to stand there all day?"

Dee waited for an answer from his partner, or maybe a tug on his legs. He did not expect the sudden hysterical laughter from within his bedroom.

"Ryo?" A worried expression crossed his face. "Ryo are you laughing at me?" The laughter became louder. "Ryo you'd better not be laughing at me." More laughter accompanied by a loud creak. Ryo had obviously grabbed onto the door for support."You are laughing at me!" _Thump_. His partner must have fallen onto the floor as his laughter increased. "DAMMIT RYO THIS IS NO LAUGHING MATTER!"

Inside, Ryo was desperately trying to regain control of his breathing. He was on his knees, clutching the doorknob for support as tears spilled from his eyes. The muffled curses from outside accompanied by the sight of Dee's legs kicking back and forth like a hyperactive duck was simply too much for him. When his lungs began to burn from lack of oxygen, the half Japanese detective closed his eyes and ran out the door to regain his composure.

A sickening feeling of dread fell over Dee as he heard the retreating footsteps inside. His insides clenched in panic. "Ryo? Don't you leave me like this! It's too hot out here! Get back in here Ryo! Come on, Ryo, don't leave me alone right now!"

When he did not here any response from his partner, Dee's panic flared. He was alone, helpless, and stuck in a very undignified position. What if someone on the street saw him? He'd probably find himself on the next episode of "America's Funniest Home Videos". Well, if the people who taped him won the grand prize, he'd better see some compensation money. No one capitalized on the embarrassment of Dee Laytner except Dee Laytner…and maybe Ryo. But Ryo had abandoned him. OK, scratch that. Ryo was no longer allowed to capitalize on his stupidity. Now that he thought about it, Ryo, that dirty traitor, would probably be the one to run out onto the street with a video camera.

So wrapped up was he in his musings that Dee failed to hear his partner's return to the bedroom. While Ryo had been able to calm himself enough to stop laughing, he still could not keep the amused smile off of his face. As he approached his dark haired partner's back half, he could not help but admire how nicely Dee's jeans shaped his bottom. Ryo immediately halted that train of thought. When had he started to admire his partner's butt? Dee was the horn dog, not him. He was supposed to be the sensible one. Still, seeing Dee trapped and helpless was a nice change of pace. Usually he was the one trapped in an uncompromising position thanks to his overly hormonal partner. What harm could come from a little revenge for all of the times he had been pounced upon?

With a teasing glint in his dark eyes, Ryo began his payback. "Well, well, well, what have we here?" Ryo said, lowering his voice seductively and moving closer to his raven-haired lover.

"Ryo, is that you?" Dee tried to twist his head back to see if the uncharacteristically sexy tone of voice did indeed belong to his shy partner.

"Well, Dee," Ryo continued in a sultry tone, "for some reason, I suddenly have a craving for some hot cross buns." He exemplified the statement by putting his hands on Dee's trim hips and running them temptingly lower to ghost his fingertips against Dee's lower back.

Dee shivered slightly from the enticing touch and slyly tried to shift himself back further, only resulting in him lodging himself in tighter. 'Dammit! Ryo is in the mood to fool around for once and he's actually initiating it!' Dee thought. 'Fuck! This is a wet dream come true and it feels like Bikky just smashed a pillow over my head and woke me up. I can never get a break with Ryo; I have the worst luck!' he mused as he became more painfully aware of his current situation.

Despite his repeated attempts to increase the contact with Ryo's delicious caresses, Dee's efforts fell short. Ryo wasn't going to indulge his unspoken whim, either, unless Dee knew how to play his cards right. Thinking quickly, Dee said in an innocent tone, "Hey, Ryo, do you think you could help me out? I have an itch on my back that is driving me crazy." Ryo eyed Dee's visible half up with pity but still could not resist playing the upper hand. Pulling up Dee's shirt over his broad back as much as he could, Ryo began to lightly run his fingers over Dee's lower back, curling his fingers under to graze against the sensitive exposed flesh.

"Ahhh, Ryo, that feels so good," Dee said with a sharp intake of breath. "A little to the left, now lower, lower, ahhh…..that's the spot!" Dee said delightedly as he sighed in satisfaction from Ryo's gentle caresses. Dee shut his eyes blissfully and moaned softly into the touch. As Ryo continued to run his fingers lazily over Dee's lower back, he realized that his partner's response to his ministrations were starting to have a noticeable affect on certain regions of his body as well. 'Damn it Dee, why do you always have to be so horny all the time?' Ryo thought as he shifted uncomfortably due to the tightening in his own jeans and continued to listen to the pleasing sounds of his raven-haired partner writhing underneath him. 'Well, we are alone for awhile; at least until help arrives. Besides, who ever could resist having a little fun? I'm sure Dee wouldn't mind. And he's had this a long time coming anyway.'

Deciding to take the initiative, Ryo reached around to the front of Dee's waist and started to fumble with his belt buckle. Dee's emerald eyes flew open in surprise at Ryo's unprecedented action. 'He's not!' Dee thought, thinking that this was too good to be true. But when he felt Ryo subtly start to slip the belt through the belt loops, his look of surprise turned to one of satisfaction. 'Ooooh, he is!' YES!' Dee's face broke into a triumphant grin despite the sweltering heat as he eagerly anticipated what his normally shy Ryo had in store for him.

Suddenly, all Dee could see was a flash of white light. 'Holy shit, what was that?'His vision was clouded by millions of tiny colorful spots and the world seemed to spin around him. 'I couldn't have just orgasmed now, could I? I've got a lot more stamina than that, even if Ryo is taking the initiative. No way, I'm not feeling all happy and sated, so I definitely didn't just come. Oh god, it isn't heat stroke is it? That's gotta be it. I've been stuck out here for so long that I'm getting roasted and now my head is killing me and I can't see straight. God, Ryo, get me out of here before I keel over!'__

"You have the weirdest facial expressions, dumbass."

Blinking through the spots, Dee stared in confusion at the dark figure perched on the railing of the fire escape and fumbling with something behind his back; a dark figure with shockingly blonde hair. "Bicky?" He groaned as his head continued to pound.

The teen snickered as Dee's face revealed comprehension. "Remind me to thank Ryo for calling me. Seeing you like this was so worth walking around in this weather. Too bad it isn't your ass that's outside, or I could have given it a nice kick to get you unstuck."

"Bicky is that you?" Ryo squeaked inside as he hastily tried to rebuckle his partner's belt. As he did, his hand absentmindedly brushed over the front of Dee's jeans, causing the dark haired man to barely hold back a moan. "I didn't think you'd get here so quickly."

"That's cause I raced over here. I know that I can't let you two stay alone together for very long. Who knows what this bastard might have done to you if I took my sweet time," Bicky called through the blocked window.

"Excuse me," Dee growled. "But 'this bastard' is in no position to do anything right now. So get me out of here!"

From his position on the railing, Bicky smirked. "Hey Ryo, can't we leave him here a little longer? I kinda like him like this." __

"No, Bicky. He's been stuck like this for over an hour, and the heat is only getting worse. We need to get him in now and cool him off before he gets too dehydrated."

With a resigned sigh, the teen hopped to his feet and squatted down until he was eye level with Dee and placed a hand on each of the detective's shoulders. He lowered his voice so that only Dee could hear him. "It doesn't seem right for you to die by getting fried to a crisp. I'd rather beat you to a bloody pulp myself."

"The feeling's mutual," Dee muttered back. "But I'm really not in the mood to get into that right now. Look, if you get me out of this I'll help you set up a nice little evening alone with Carol. So truce, ok?"

Bicky paused for a moment as he considered the offer. "Fine, truce. But you'd better deliver." He raised his voice. "Hey Ryo, I'll push while you pull."

"Got it," Ryo nodded inside as he wrapped his hands firmly around his partner's ankles. "Ready…go!"

Dee learned right then and there what it felt like to be an oversized package shoved into a mail slot. As his ribs slammed into the air conditioning and window frame, he vowed to start tipping his mail carrier more often. Dee desperately tried to keep from crying out as the continued pressure caused agony to shoot up his sides. He could feel his ribs groan in protest and was sure they were going to break if this kept up. After several seconds, he finally yelled for his lover and nemesis to stop.

Inside, Ryo let go of Dee's legs and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "This isn't going to work, Bicky. He's wedged in too tightly. If only we had some sort of lubrication or something."

"Damn, I knew I should have bought some more after our last all night session," Dee cursed, earning him a smack upside the head from Bicky.

"I did NOT want to know that, Dee," Bikky yelled, loud enough for Ryo to hear.

Meanwhile, Ryo's face had turned bright red. He was thankful for the fact that Bicky couldn't see him at the moment. While he knew that Bicky begrudgingly accepted his relationship with Dee, he was always embarrassed to talk about their sex life in front of his foster son. To him, talking about intimacy should be kept in the bedroom. Then again, Dee never did show much tact when it came to privacy. Ryo quickly shook his head. Now was not the time to be thinking about keeping their private life private. If he didn't act soon, his partner was going to end up like a roasted potato.

"Dee, Bicky, I'll be right back. I'm going to look for something we can use for lubrication," he called through the window as he left the room. A moment later he stuck his head back through the door. "Try not to fight while I'm gone."

Dee twisted his head so he could shout back. "Just hurry up, I'm dying of thirst out here."

Minutes passed in silence between Dee and Bicky. Dee simply hung where he was with his eyes closed and tried not to think about the blazing sun on his burning neck while Bicky slouched in a shaded spot and looked down at the street. It was just too hot to have a prolonged argument. As the sun began the downward decent from its noontime peak, Dee picked up the sound of footsteps entering the bedroom again.

"Dee, I'm not even going to ask why you have an economy size tub of butter in your fridge."

"Well I was thinking of spreading it all over you-OW!" Dee's smirk was quickly replaced by a grimace as he felt a rough pinch on the back of his leg.

Ryo fumed as he opened the container. "That's disgusting Dee! Who wants to lick pure butter off of someone else?"

"Hey, you know how I am! Do you think I can afford that much chocolate sauce on my salary?"

"Don't you two ever stop?" Bicky snarled as he moved back into his crouch by Dee's head. "Damnit, Ryo, let's just get him out of here so I don't have to listen to any more of your kinky turn-ons."

"That's not a turn-on!" Ryo blushed as he worked Dee's shirt up over his lower back. With Bicky's help, they were able to pull it through the window frame, exposing an inch of his bare back outside. With the greatest of care, Ryo began to rub the cool spread over his partner's skin. Dee moaned as the coldness contacted with his overheated back. Thankfully, Bicky didn't seem to think he was getting turned on, which he wasn't for once. Ryo continued to massage the butter over his strained muscles, rubbing slightly to ease them into a more relaxed state. He continued to dip into the container for more butter as the minutes passed. He had been able to wedge his fingers through the window just enough to cover his lower ribs as well. Finally, Dee's lower back was coated with slowly melting butter. An image of bacon sizzling on his partner's back suddenly came to mind, causing Ryo to snicker as he turned to move the butter container out of the way.

"Ok, Bicky, I'm ready on this side," He called out to his foster son. "On my count, start pushing as hard as you can."  
"No problem!" Bicky called back. He couldn't help but grin as he saw the look of anticipating torture on the dark haired detective's face.

"One."

Dee closed his eyes.

"Two."

He cringed as he awaited the oncoming pain.

"Three!"

Dee couldn't hold back the yelp of pain as his entire body was forced backwards. His muscles ached, his head throbbed, and his ribs were in agony. Bicky's hands were sending shocks of pain down his arms and Ryo's were cutting off the circulation in his feet. He could feel his ribs slowly begin to slide past the window frame, pushing them further into his body. Pain shot throughout his body as he could practically hear his bones groaning in protest. His lower ribs were bending more than he thought possible, even though they were only shifting a few millimeters. They were going to snap soon. Dee could just feel that they were going to snap. The sheer agony was completely overwhelming as heat pulsed on his face as color began to flash in front of his eyes. Just as he was about to pass out from the pain, a ripping sound filled the air and his upper body suddenly flew backwards. His landing was not against the hard floor as he had expected, but against a firm chest.

Groaning, Ryo pushed at Dee's shoulders to move him. Dee moaned in protest as all of his muscles knotted in protest from the rough treatment. With a little effort on his part, the fair haired detective managed to pull his partner into a sitting position with his back against the wall. Dee tried to move his shoulders a bit, but hissed loudly as his stiff shoulders refused to budge. It was as though all of his skin was on fire.

"Dee?" Ryo questioned as he moved to sit next to his groaning partner. "How are you feeling?"

Dee hissed again as he raised his emerald eyes to meet the deep dark pools of his partner's. "Like shit. I can't move."

"Well, let me take a look," Ryo smiled as he pressed a finger gently against Dee's neck. Just as he suspected, a bright white fingerprint appeared and quickly faded into a deep red color. "I thought so. It looks like you've gotten a really nasty sunburn all over your arms, neck, and face. And that final pull tore your shirt as well. You've got a bad cut there."

Sure enough, the right strap of Dee's tank top had been sliced away by the window frame, leaving a shallow bleeding scratch about three inches long on his shoulder blade. Dee winced as his partner gently checked his body for any more obvious damage. Seeing nothing else, Ryo breathed a sigh of relief. This whole ordeal could have been disastrous, but thankfully Dee had come out with only a few minor injuries. He was about to speak up, when a bright yellow object flew through the window and bounced off the floor with a moderate thump. Looking up, he saw Bicky's smirking face sticking through the hole that Dee's torso had been occupying a moment ago.

"I thought you might need that. I'm gonna head home now. I don't wanna be around if you guys are gonna start making out in front of me. Are you going to be home for dinner?"

Ryo rolled his eyes. "I highly doubt that we're going to be making out anytime soon Bicky, and yes, I'll be home for dinner. I'll see you later."

"Yeah sure," The teen's head vanished for a moment, only to reappear again a few seconds later. "Oh and Dee, thanks."

"Thanks for what?" Dee grumbled as he cocked an eyebrow at his arch nemesis. Bicky merely smiled and disappeared again.

Chuckling, Ryo looked over at the little yellow screwdriver, the cause of this whole mess. Oh well. At least it was over now. Grunting, he managed to haul Dee up and lead him to the bed. Ryo smiled to himself as he grabbed a white bottle next to the window and squeezed a palmful of pearly liquid into his hands.

"What's that?" Dee moaned as his partner's hands began to gently rub his fiery red shoulders.

"Lotion. I found it in your bathroom while I was looking for lubrication. It should help ease the pain from your sunburn a little until we can get some solar cane," Ryo said as he pushed Dee facedown onto the bed and sat beside him. "Now just relax and let me take care of you," His partner seemed to melt into the cool comfort of the sheets against his exposed flesh as he stretched out on the bed.

Dee closed his eyes and relaxed into the comforting touch of his partner's gentle caresses, wincing when those wonderful hands brushed against a serious burn. Ryo continued to coat Dee's aching body with the soothing lotion, rubbing it over all of the exposed areas reddened by the sun's unrelenting fury. "Uuuhh, Ryo, feels so good," Dee breathed through parted lips. He was enjoying the feel of his partner's capable hands on his back. Dee slowly opened his eyes and glanced back to admire Ryo. The blond's face was drawn in concentration, determined to cover every inch of exposed flesh with lotion so as to ease the aftermath of Dee's sunburn.

Ryo suddenly glanced up, feeling the deep penetrating gaze of Dee's eyes upon him. Blushing slightly, he asked, "What's wrong, Dee? Am I hurting you at all?"

"No, but I think it's time for you to do my front now," Dee said, rolling over onto his back and taking Ryo's hands in his own.

"O-okay," Ryo acquiesced, squeezing out more lotion and rubbing it on Dee's broad chest. Why was the sight of his handsome raven-haired partner laying there suddenly starting to have an effect on his lower region?

Dee continued to hold onto Ryo's hands, guiding them across his searing flesh. "I think you missed a spot," he said softly, "over here." Dee moved Ryo's hands sensually down the planes of his firm abs and lightly ran them temptingly lower before bringing them back up his sides. A slight moan escaped his lips as he felt Ryo put more pressure against his skin and he leaned into the touch, only to pull away with a yelp.

Ryo immediately pulled his hands away, his eyes filled with worry. "Did I hurt you?"

"No," Dee hissed. "I guess seduction isn't a good idea when you've got a sunburn. Damnit, and you're actually in the mood for once. I didn't have to do anything! Why!? Whywhywhywhywhy!?!?!?!?!?!"

Hearing his partner whining like a little kid denied his cookie, Ryo could not help but chuckle as he squeezed more lotion on his hands. "God, Dee, you're such a kid sometimes." With great tenderness, he resumed his light caresses. "But don't worry. I'll make it up to you when you're feeling better."

"Damn straight you will," Dee growled. Under his breath he muttered. "Damnit, I'm not going to be able to move for a week. That means I can't screw his brains out as revenge for a while. Why am I so unlucky?"

Ryo simply smiled as he heard the muffled curses, but decided not to comment. As his hands spread moved to coat his partner's chest, he heard Dee moan contentedly. He raised his eyes to meet his lover's, dark and full of emotion. Dee's hands reached down to cover his own and urge a bit more pressure. Complying, the light haired detective continued, never taking his eyes from Dee's. Even when Dee let go of his hands, Ryo gazed, seemingly hypnotized, into his endless emerald depths.

"D-Dee?" Ryo asked breathlessly, trying to calm his own breathing from the man writhing underneath his ministrations. "Are you sure I'm not hurting you? I could stop if it's too much…" he trailed off as he saw Dee's face break into a broad smile.

"And what if I was to say that you maybe did hurt me a little bit and that you would just have to kiss it and make it better?" Dee asked hopefully, carefully watching Ryo's face to gauge his reaction to the brash statement. "You know, I do remember a certain sexy partner of mine getting interrupted earlier today when he was helping me scratch my back," Dee pointed out.

A flicker of uncertainty graced Ryo's handsome features. He wouldn't normally be so bold, but he WAS attracted to Dee, and Dee had a good point. He was looking forward to having an air conditioner in the apartment, and he felt bad that Dee had to suffer when he only had his and Ryo's best interests at heart.

Leaning down decisively, he asked in a sultry voice, "Where does it hurt, Dee?"

Breaking into a triumphant grin, Dee managed to say very seriously, "Right here," as he pointed to his chest. Ryo moved his lithe body over Dee's and brought his lips down to lightly graze Dee's sunburned flesh. "Here?" he asked, expelling a breath of hot air over the moist heat he had subjected Dee's flesh to a moment before.

"Ahhh, that's the spot," Dee purred as Ryo began to slowly pepper the red areas with feather-light kisses.

"Well, glad I could be of help," Ryo said nonchalantly as he brought his face up inches from Dee's own.

"Can you help me out with one more thing?" Dee asked in a voice dripping with seduction.

"What's that, Dee?" Ryo quiered, gazing deep into Dee's lustful eyes.

"Well, my lips got sunburned as well," Dee said innocently. "Would you kiss them and make them feel better?"

"Anything for my handsome partner," Ryo said simply, his eyes sparkling with desire. He smiled as he leaned down to lightly brush his succulent lips over Dee's, closing his dark lashes over his exotic eyes.

Dee brought his hands up to tangle in Ryo's blond tresses and pulled him in closer, crushing his lips against Ryo's with a passionate fury and causing Ryo to gasp. Dee used this opportunity to snake his tongue inside Ryo's mouth, determined to ravish every inch of the luscious man's lips and claim his mouth as his own. Although shocked at first, Ryo willingly responded to the kiss, moving his body closer against Dee's as Dee continued to thrust his tongue against Ryo's in an empowering rhythm. The sizzling sensations as if from a jolt of electricity coursed throughout their veins and resonated throughout their touches, exemplifying their desire for the one in their arms.

Reluctantly breaking away from the kiss in an attempt to fill his lungs with much-needed air, Ryo placed his hands on Dee's chest and raised himself up from Dee's body, panting slightly. Dee smiled up at Ryo and said, "Well, that's what I call service with a smile! Thanks. I feel a lot better now. Well on the road to recovery."

"I – I'm glad," Ryo murmured as he tried, a bit unsteadily, to stand. God, Dee was such a good kisser! "Do you need anything else, Dee?"

"Yeah, a glass of water would be great, and then some of you would be nice as well," Dee answered mischievously as he leaned back against the pillows, delighted that his kisses could still make Ryo's knees go weak.

Ryo left the room blushing furiously and mumbling something about, "We'll see," and went to go get Dee a glass of water from the kitchen. Upon returning to the room, he found Dee fast asleep, the man's gentle breathing exemplified by the steady rise and fall of his chest.

Ryo smiled sweetly at the serene look on Dee's attractive face and leaned over to brush Dee's hair out of his eyes, putting the glass of water on the bedside table. "Oh Dee, you are too much sometimes," Ryo said as he leaned in to lightly kiss Dee's forehead before putting a light blanket over his prone form, "but that's why I love you. Sleep well." He quietly closed the door, letting himself out of the apartment and pondering what he was going to cook for Bicky when he got home. At the sound of retreating footfalls, Dee opened one eye just in time to see his partner close the door. "I love you too, Ryo," he said, sighing contentedly as he fell into blissful slumber.

"Damn heat, damn sunburn, damn shirt, damn-OW!"

"Maybe you should have worn a different shirt today," Ryo smirked as he and his partner made their way up the stairs of the 27th precinct building. Dee had been complaining all morning about his shirt rubbing against his sunburned arms and neck and was squirming to keep the cloth off his overly sensitive skin. So far, he was not having much luck.

"This is as old and comfortable as I could go without breaking the dress code," Dee arched an eyebrow seductively. "Of course, I could always just take it off so you can stare at my mucho-muscular chest all day."

Chuckling, Ryo reached for the door on the fourth floor. "Now that _would_ be breaking the dress code. Besides, Dee, do you really want JJ to see you half naked?"

That immediately deflated the dark haired detective's bubble. "Good point. Like I need him drooling over me when I can't move enough to smack him. Well don't worry, Ryo. This sexy body is all yours, baby."

"Thanks, I appreciate that." Ryo laughed. "By the way, how's your shoulder doing?"

Dee rotated his right arm experimentally. "Not too bad. It hurts like hell, but it's not infected. You did a great job patching me up last night. But that butter smell still won't come off. I've taken two showers since you lathered me up and I still stink like a movie theater."

"Really?" Ryo leaned in for an experimental sniff. "You're right. Now I'm starting to feel hungry."

Dee's head shot up. With a sly smile he moved closer to his partner, gently pressing Ryo against the wall of the stairwell. He leaned forward until his forehead was a millimeter away from his Ryo's. "Hungry for what?" He whispered huskily.

"Mashed potatoes."

Dee pulled back in surprise, giving Ryo the chance he needed to pull away and push the door open. Growling, the dark haired man shuffled dejectedly after his partner while mumbling about missing another chance.

Hearing the complaints, Ryo looked over his shoulder with an amused smile. "Now Dee, stop whining. I'm sure the smell will leave in another day or two. Besides, it's a small price to pay for getting you out of there."

Groaning, Dee followed his partner down the hallway to their desks. "I know, I know. I never want to be reminded about yesterday again. I just hope word doesn't leak out about it. Can you imagine what the others would say if they heard that I got stuck in a damn window?"

Upon entering the open office, Dee immediately headed for the desk and flopped down, wincing as his back hit the chair. Ryo, however, went to greet Ted, Drake, and JJ who had congregated around Ted's desk. Ted and Drake were huddled together over something in Drake's hand and snickering. JJ stood behind them, trying to catch a glance of the object the other two were obviously trying to hide. When they refused to show him, JJ started to whine about them being stingy bastards.

"What have you got there?" Ryo called out as he made his way over to Ted's desk.

All three detectives immediately looked up as the fair haired man approached. Whatever Drake was holding was quickly stowed behind his back as he and Ted whipped around to face Ryo. JJ attempted to take advantage of their new position and sneak a peak behind Drake's back. But his partner merely batted him away.

Instead of answering Ryo's question, Drake called across the room. "Hey Dee. What exactly were you up to yesterday?"

Dee's head flew up from where it had been resting on the desk. Seeing the wicked look on his friend's face immediately put him on edge. "And why do you want to know?"

"Oh nothing…I was just wondering what you could possibly have been doing to end up like THIS!!!!!!" With a grin of triumph, the detective pulled out his hidden treasure; an eight by ten glossy photograph of Dee's upper body stuck between an air conditioning unit and a window frame. The photo was obviously taken at close range, because it showed his face twisted in both pain and pleasure with amazing clarity.

JJ immediately made a grab for the photo, but could not reach as Drake held him at bay. "I can't believe it! How could you two hide a picture of my gorgeous Dee-sempai from me?"

One moment he was sitting in his seat. The next moment, Dee had knocked JJ away, locked Drake's neck in a stranglehold, and grabbed the offending sheet of glossy paper. "Where the hell did you get this!?" He roared at Ted. "Who sent it!?"

Ted immediately ducked behind a dazed JJ. "I don't know, Dee. It was just sitting here in an envelope with our names on it when we got in. We don't know who it's from. Now could you maybe let go of Drake? Or at least let him get a little air before he turns purple on us."

With a growl, Dee loosened his grip on the asphyxiated detective, giving Drake some much needed oxygen. "Who the hell could have gotten a shot like that. No one was that close outside when it happened except…" Realization suddenly dawned on Dee. It all made sense now. The bright flash, the person sitting on the fire escape, the object being hidden behind his back, the mysterious "thank you"; this was all Bicky's doing.

"I'll kill him," Dee snarled under his breath. "I'm gonna kill the little monkey bastard!" Rage began to build within man. His eyes narrowed while his muscles tightened in anticipation. Ignoring the painful stiffness in his skin and the throb of his shoulder, Dee spun on his heels and raced for the exit.

Ryo was immediately chasing him down the hall. "Dee wait! Where are you going? We've got work to do!"

As the sound of running footsteps receded down the hall, the three remaining detectives heaved a sigh of relief. They had learned from experience long ago to never interfere when Dee went on a rampage. It was far better for their health. Once he was sure that Dee was out of hearing range, Ted reached into his desk and pulled out the mysterious envelope again.

"It's a good thing we didn't tell him about the other twenty copies in here."

"Yeah," Drake rasped as he rubbed his sore neck. "Or the note saying to plaster them around the office. And now that Dee's on the hunt, we have plenty of time to do it before he gets back."

Sharing a conspiring grin, the two detectives set to work redecorating the office. Meanwhile, JJ was sitting happily at his desk and drooling over one of the photos. This continued for a few minutes until Ted caught a whiff of something in the air and paused.

"Hey, does anyone else here have a craving for buttered popcorn?"

The End


End file.
